The Pacific ponders new ways to rein in alcohol abuse

There's been a call for more action to curb alcohol use in the Pacific at a conference in New Caledonia.

The Pacific Community's Dr Harley Stanton says research has found that education materials don't work, and the delegates at the Alcohol and Health in the Pacific conference, were encouraged to come up with more effective methods.

"They include tax measures, and not only taxation but regulating physical availability such as minimal legal age of purchase and some server liability, restriction of density of outlets and hours of opening, and altering the drinking context may have limited effectiveness but be useful in particular settings"

Dr Stanton says these would need to be developed to suit the different needs of each country.